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 Bennet inwardly thanked the speaker for the words. It gave him opportunity to recover somewhat. Lida was still silent.

"He's one of our heroes, Miss Lauriston," Dean Sandager offered. "One of our athletes."

"Oh!" was all she could gasp before Dean Sandager continued. "He's off the team this year, because of accident. Got mixed up in that mob of strikers and got hurt.—You remember seeing the stories in the papers. They say he rescued some girls, too.—Never got the straight of it.—Bennet never would talk of it and the papers never identified him or the girls."

He was resting his hand fondly on Bennet's shoulder as he spoke. The latter was embarrassed to perspiration. Lida was too overcome to say anything of what she might and as conversation lagged, Dean Sandager turned to Bennet, with, "Get the ladies some refreshments, Bennet."

Glad of an excuse Bennet turned and was off to do the errand after learning the desires of those in the group. Lida looked after the retreating form of Bennet as he passed behind a grouping of fernery and palms into the refreshment room. On returning all sought seats about the room. Neither Lida nor Bennet was aware of the manner in which they became paired as they thought of the event afterward, but when they started for the side of the room they found themselves together.

Bennet's heart was pounding a tattoo against his coat. He looked helplessly at those ahead of him. Lida too was still embarrassed. There were not seats enough for them